Today's article will be photo heavy, but I hope you'll pay attention to the words as well. For me, the review of Zoya Matte set is a story of hope, expectations, disappointment, customer service and faith in people. Matte Velvet Jewels trio is a luxurious limited edition of polishes Zoya had offered for holidays 2013. The first Matte Velvet polishes were a three-piece limited edition for autumn 2009. which consisted of Loredana, Dovima i Posh. For winter they had added another three polishes - Savita, Harlow and Veruschka. In summer 2011. Zoya had placed Mod Mattes collection, again consisting of three polishes (Lolly, Mitzi i Phoebe), but these polishes weren't as shimmery as the previous two collections. Last winter Zoya has re-released Posh, Savita and Veruschka in an exclusive limited edition trio as well as individual packaging and Dovima was available in individual packaging only. I didn't expect any of these polishes to find it's way to us, but I was thrilled to learn that Ultra Sun had imported sets. Yay them!

Out of all Zoya matte polishes Veruschka was the only one I really wanted to own. Of course I had to rush and buy the entire set only because of that polish. No need for that because the lovely people from Ultra Sun, knowing about my ardour, have set one set aside for me to review and one as a giveaway gift for you. Ah, the joy, Veruschka was finally mine. I was impatient to try it on. Gorgeous green shimmer was flowing smoothly over my nails. The colour was everything I had wanted it to be. Then the polish started to dry and I have seen something that doesn't belong in this polish. Is it bubbling? Grains of sand? Something else? I have tried Posh and Savita and they were perfectly fine. What is going on with Veruschka? I mixed it vehemently, hoping that troublesome grains are just pigment that wasn't well mixed, but to no avail. Grains were still there. I have tried the other set. It was same as mine.

I have contacted Ultra Sun to inform them about the situation. I can't give away a faulty set. They have soon replied telling me they would check their stash. Veruschka in all sets turned out to be defective. They have contacted manufacturer and withdrawn all sets. They have also swapped the giveaway matte set for a Magical Pixie trio, which turned out to be the most wanted prize on my giveaway. I was also offered to exchange my set for different products, but I chose to keep it. It is a limited edition and I like the fact that I now own it. I have also wanted Veruschka so much I was unwilling to give it up now that I finally had my hands on it. But my respect for Ultra Sun has grown immensely. The speed and the way they had reacted to this situation bring back hope in customer services and merchants. We face reasons to complain about salespeople, importers, distributors all the time because often us, customers, get the short end of the stick. It is my pleasure to share this story of an importer who immediately wanted to protect their customers. I wish I didn't have to tell this as a praise story when this sort of behaviour should be something normal, but it still gives me joy to know that there are companies who take care of their consumers in the best possible way.

And know a few words about the set itself. It consists of red (Posh), purple (Savita) and green (Veruschka) shimmery matte polishes. They come in a beautiful matte black box with magnetic closure. Each polish is described as a jewel (ruby, amethyst, emerald), hence the name of the set. Dovima, described as onyx black shimmer, was only available in individual package. Box also holds a leaflet with description of polishes as well as application instructions and wear warning. As you may know, matte polishes aren't as durable as regular polishes, especially since they are meant to be worn without top coat which could prolong their wear time. According to manufacturer's recommendation Zoya Mate Velvet polishes are also meant to be worn over clean dry nails, without base coat.

Colours of these three polishes are really gorgeous and, while somewhat classic, very special. Posh is maybe the most ordinary of the three, but it is nevertheless a very nice blue-toned shade of red, filled with shimmer. Savita is a blue-leaning purple, but filled with pink shimmer that prevents it from looking too cold. Veruschka is christmasy-green shimmer that leans more towards yellow than blue, but not too much. All three can look a bit frosty if you apply thicker coats. All three dry to a satiny matte finish, but it seems to me that Savita is the most matte of the three. They look equally beautiful with top coat as well. Top coat gives the depth and brings out the shimmer.

If we disregard grains in Veruschka, formula on these was great, especially for matte polishes. They are quite runny so brush should be wiped before application, but not too much. Too little polish on brush will leave you with uneven surface. Too much polish may also leave you with uneven surface and streaks, and it will also drip all over the place. They dry quite fast so you should take care not to swipe over already dried places. All three are well pigmented. Posh may be worn as a one-coater and Savita and Veruschka need two coats for full and even colour. I have worn them as recommended over bare nails and had no staining, which is great. I have worn Veruschka with top coat to even out the surface so I can't write about its durability and I have worn both Posh and Savita for a day and I had only slight tipwear.

Photos were taken in daylight. I have two coats of polish in all photos except the last two, where I also have two coats of Zoya Armor. I have received this product for an honest review. For additional info see my disclosure policy.

All three colors are beautiful, but it's a bummer to see the specks in the otherwise beautiful Veruschka. Your experience with Ultra Sun is heartwarming... it's always wonderful to see a company treat its customers so well. I love Zoya's matte colors and have a few, though I only wish they lasted longer on my nails. :)

Thank you for taking time to look at my photos, read the article and share your opinion on the subject. Plese, don't link to your websites, blogs, puppy and kitty pictures and other stuff in comments. I'll check out your profile on my own as long as you leave a sensible or interesting comment and I'll treat comments with links as spam.